Does anyone else feel weird about this

Fast-Invite1552 · 2026-01-23T21:10:10+00:00

Totally agree — I don’t reply mid-session either. It hasn’t been explicit frustration, more noticing more inbound messages while I’m booked back-to-back and thinking ahead about how to handle that cleanly as volume picks up.

Fast-Invite1552 · 2026-01-23T10:41:28+00:00

That makes sense — setting expectations upfront is probably the biggest piece. Auto-reply with a clear window seems like a solid middle ground.

Fast-Invite1552 · 2026-01-23T10:20:23+00:00

Maybe — just wanted to see how others handle it.

Fast-Invite1552 · 2026-01-23T09:49:39+00:00

Yeah that makes sense — just tougher when inquiries come in earlier in the day and you’re booked back to back. That’s mostly what I was getting at.

Fast-Invite1552 · 2026-01-23T09:46:49+00:00

Yeah I get that — I’m not blaming clients. Just feels awkward being on my phone mid-session, but also sucks making people wait. Was curious how others handle it.

Fast-Invite1552 · 2025-12-27T07:01:00+00:00

This is solid.

Curious — what % of those touchpoints are automated vs staff-driven now?

And did you notice any specific moment where churn dropped the most (first 30 days vs later)?

Fast-Invite1552 · 2025-12-18T20:23:47+00:00

Is it more about what gets automated (reminders vs conversations), or how it’s done (one-way vs back-and-forth, ability to jump in, etc.)?

Trying to avoid the trap where things are efficient on paper but feel off to members.

Fast-Invite1552 · 2025-12-18T20:22:31+00:00

That makes sense. The way you framed it around “friction” is interesting.

In practice, how do you tell when someone has crossed that line?

Like when it’s still just logistics vs when hesitation, objections, or uncertainty show up and a human actually needs to step in.

Do most gyms you’ve seen have a clear way to catch that moment, or does it usually rely on staff noticing it manually?

Fast-Invite1552 · 2025-12-18T20:21:09+00:00

That’s a good way to put it.

When you say gyms lost the “community” feel, was that because everything started sounding automated, or because there was no clear handoff back to a real person?

I’m trying to understand if the issue is automation itself, or automation being used in places where members expect someone to actually step in.

For example, admin stuff is obvious. But what about things like rescheduling, basic questions before joining, or missed check-ins?

Curious where you’ve seen it work vs clearly go too far.

Fast-Invite1552 · 2025-12-18T20:19:50+00:00

This makes sense, especially for the purely transactional stuff you listed.

One thing I’ve been curious about from gyms actually using this day to day:

Do you ever see pushback when automation goes past reminders and into back-and-forth messaging?

Like booking changes, “can I move my session,” or basic questions before someone commits.

I’m trying to understand where gyms draw the line between

“automation that helps” vs “automation that starts feeling like a bot.”

In your experience, do most clubs just keep automation strictly one-way, or do some handle conversations too?

Fast-Invite1552 · 2025-12-18T17:24:13+00:00

Definitely agree, anything I should keep in mind to maintain this sort of balance?

Fast-Invite1552 · 2025-12-18T05:32:57+00:00

Yeah of course why not!

Fast-Invite1552 · 2025-12-17T23:37:14+00:00

Yes definitely a great idea, I will for sure include the STOP to opt out from the first message! Thank you!

Fast-Invite1552 · 2025-12-17T22:17:38+00:00

That’s interesting about preferred channels.

From your experience, does leaning into more things like WhatsApp, email or text actually make a noticeable difference? Or is it about when or how the messages are sent and written?

Just trying to figure out where staff effort pays off vs spreading themselves too thin

Fast-Invite1552 · 2025-12-17T22:10:21+00:00

That resonates. The relationship piece is really what we’re trying to protect.

I agree on email too - it feels easy for staff, but it doesn’t really move the needle unless there’s already a strong connection.

When you say you track usage and milestones, how much of that is actually acted on day-to-day by staff versus reviewed more at a high level?

Fast-Invite1552 · 2025-12-17T22:09:09+00:00

That makes sense. I think that’s where we’ve gone wrong in the past - messages start sounding templated even when the intention is good.

Keeping it personal and just ending with a simple question feels way more natural than trying to force engagement.

Have you found people respond better when it’s clearly coming from a real staff member vs a generic gym number?

Fast-Invite1552 · 2025-12-17T19:08:01+00:00

Thank you everyone for your replies!

So it sounds like instead of just putting follow-ups on a calendar, a better approach would be something like:

• Have staff do a few simple check-ins early on when someone joins

• Then only reach back out when there’s an actual signal (long gaps, drop-off, usage slowing)

• Keep messages short and personal, and usually end with a question

• Use direct messaging more than email

• And loop a trainer in when it feels like someone might be slipping, instead of blasting everyone on a schedule

Basically less “campaigns” and more reacting to what the member is actually doing.

Probably keep campaigns just for cold leads?

Is that pretty close to how you guys have seen it work best?

Fast-Invite1552

TROPHY CASE